Ice shelves are thick slabs of ice that are attached to coastlines and extend out over the ocean. In the natural course of events, ice shelves often calve large icebergs. On February 28, 2008, however, the Wilkins Ice Shelf rapidly disintegrated into small pieces.
Published Mar 27, 2008
When this closely watched slab of floating ice births a giant iceberg, it will not be the first time it has seen dramatic change.
Published Feb 7, 2017Image of the Day Heat Land Water Snow and Ice Sea and Lake Ice
Wave action and glacial dynamics split another chunk of ice off of the Antarctic Peninsula in March 2013.
Published May 25, 2013
This approximately true-color image shows ice fragments left over from previous breakups of the Wilkins Ice Shelf.
Published Apr 19, 2009
This trio of images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on NASA’s Terra satellite shows the rapid break up of the Serson Ice Shelf between July 28 and July 31.
Published Sep 11, 2008
A narrow ice bridge connecting Charcot Island and Latady Island broke apart in April 2009.
Published Apr 8, 2009
Rifts form a triple junction along the edge of a giant loose tooth in East Antarctica.
Published Feb 12, 2012
Acquired in 2003, 2004,and 2005, these images show an intermittently ice-filled bay in the wake of the 2002 collapse of the Larsen B Ice Shelf on the Antarctic Peninsula.
Published Apr 9, 2010
This pair of satellite images shows the dramatic retreat of the Crane Glacier between 2002 and 2003, following the collapse of the Larsen B Ice Shelf.
Published Apr 8, 2010
